Nilamber Pant | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1931-07-25)25 July 1931 (age 94) Almora,Uttarakhand, India |
| Occupation | Space scientist |
| Known for | Indian space programme |
| Awards | Padma Shri Shri Hari Om Ashram Prerit Dr.Vikram Sarabhai Research Award Dr. Biren Roy Space Award Aryabhata Award Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Award ISRO Performance Excellence Award ISRO Lifetime Achievement Award |
Nilamber Pant (born 25 July 1931) is an Indian space scientist, a former member of theSpace Commission of India and a pioneer of satellite based communication and broadcasting in India.[1] He served at theSatish Dhawan Space Centre and theISRO Satellite Centre before becoming the vice chairman of theIndian Space Research Organization (ISRO).[2] TheGovernment of India awarded Pant thePadma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour in India, in 1984.[3]
Pant was born inAlmora, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand[4] on 25 July 1931 and did his schooling and pre-graduate studies at local institutions in Almora.[1] He graduated fromLucknow University in 1948 and secured his post graduate degree from the same institution in 1952, in Physics with Wireless as a major.[1] Joining theIndian Space Research Organization (ISRO), his first significant task was the establishment of an Experimental Satellite Communication Earth Station (ESCES) atAhmedabad, a first of its kind in India, in 1965 as a member of the task force entrusted with the responsibility. Later, he completed the first commercial earth station as the Chief Systems Engineer at Arvi, a village around 21 km fromPune, in 1971. During the next five years, he was involved with the development and installation ofSatellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) at theEarth Stations located inAhmedabad,Delhi andAmritsar.[1]
Pant served as the director of the Experimental Satellite Communications Earth Station, Ahmedabad and as the chairman of the Communication Area,Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad before being appointed as the director of theSatish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR, ISRO) in 1977. It was during his tenure as the director, ISRO that the first four launches of theSLV-3, in 1979, 1980, 1981[5] and 1983 respectively, were executed[6] under the leadership ofA. P. J. Abdul Kalam.[2] His next posting was as the director of theISRO Satellite Centre at Bengaluru in 1985 where he oversaw the IRS, SROSS and INSAT-2 projects. He also chaired the INSAT-1 Project Management Board during this period.[1] In 1999, he was inducted into theSpace Commission of India as a member and the next year, he became the vice chairman of theIndian Space Research Organization, a post he held till his superannuation on 31 July 1991.[1]
Pant received theShri Hari Om Ashram Prerit Dr. Vikram Sarabhai Research Award in 1976[1] and theGovernment of India awarded him the civilian honour ofPadma Shri in 1984.[3] The next year, he received the Dr. Biren Roy Space Award from theAeronautical Society of India and the Aryabhatta Award of the Astronautical Society of India reached him in 1995.[7] At the 92ndIndian Science Congress held at Ahmedabad in 2005, he was awarded the Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Award.[1] The Indian Space Research Organization awarded him thePerformance Excellence Award in 2006 and followed it up with theLifetime Achievement Award in 2010.[8]
